Registration fee reduced for Johnny Miles events

NEW GLASGOW — Registration is now open for the 2018 Johnny Miles Running Event Weekend on June 16 and 17.

Terry Curley, event director, says due to the ongoing, loyal support of sponsors, municipal partners and the running community, organizers are pleased that registration fees are bring reduced by nearly 35 per cent while still offering the same quality event that has always been offered in the past. Participants can now run the 5km for $35, the 10km for $40 and the Johnny Miles Half Marathon and Full Marathon for $45 each.

“We see that there are many events with high registration fees and many of those events just aren’t affordable to a lot of our runners,” says Curley. “Our mandate is and has always been to ‘build a healthier community’ and we believe this new pricing ties in well with this strategic goal and commitment to our community.”

New Glasgow Mayor Nancy Dicks lauds, “The work of the Johnny Miles team, led by Terry and Carol Curley and a core group of volunteers, has provided an iconic event that has not only motivated many, many members of our town, region and beyond but also been a catalyst for hundreds and hundreds of people to make significant lifestyle changes. The Johnny Miles Running Event Weekend is a signature hometown event which fosters individual success, community spirit, pride of place and economic spin offs.”

The Johnny Miles Weekend will still offer the same race kit as prior years. All participants will be chipped timed and will receive a quality running hat and dry fit shirt, personalized bib, finishing medal, free race photos, post race meal, an upbeat exciting finish-line experience and an interactive expo. The only change is that the carbo-loading meal will be replaced with an interactive, fun expo. Curley explains the reason for this change is simply because only a small percentage of participants took advantage of the meal but it was built into everyone’s registration fee so this helps offset the registration fee. “We anticipate an early sell out,” adds Curley.

The Johnny Miles Running Event Weekend offers a number of free events as well. On Saturday there is a leisure walk (The Johnny Walk) on the Samson Trail in New Glasgow for all ages that offers a lot of prizes to start the weekend off. The free Kids Run also takes place Saturday and Curley says, “We are pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Pioneer Coal Athletic Facility in Stellarton and that the Kids Run will be held at this outstanding regional recreational facility and state-of-the-art rubberized track. “This event offers kids 12 years of age and under a fun, non-competitive event and all participants will receive a t-shirt, finishing medal, bib number and a post race meal from Subway.”

On Sunday there is the free Student Challenge 5km for youth in Grade 12 or under. Similar to the kids run, students will receive a t-shirt, finishing medal, bib number and post race meal. “There really is something for everyone during the Johnny Miles Weekend,” concludes Curley. “There is a special energy throughout the weekend and the entire community plays a key role in offering great hospitality to visitors as well as supporting local runners.”

For the competitive runners, after a two year absence from the Run Nova Scotia Series, the event will once again be on the RNS series for 2018 and as in previous years, the race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifier.

Terry Curley, race director of the Johnny Miles Running Event Weekend, shares the news about a registration fee reduction for 2018 with New Glasgow Mayor Nancy Dicks as the two pose at the start/finish line of the event on Provost Street in Downtown New Glasgow. (Photo by Kimberly Dickson)